Overview
The name Cyclecar is a combination of the words 'motorcycle' and 'motorcar'. The small, narrow Cyclecars combined the price of a motorcycle with the comfort of a car. Such vehicles were very popular before and immediately after the First World War, particularly in England and France. Factories making Cyclecars sprung up everywhere. Messrs H.R. Godfrey and Archie Frazer-Nash also produced these vehicles. The first G.N.s were built in a shed behind his mother's house in Hendon. It was only in 1922 that the cars were fitted with a starting handle beneath the radiator. The same year, a model with doors was introduced. These innovations failed to tempt customers into the showroom, however. The era of the Cyclecar had definitely passed. People preferred to buy an Austin or a Model T Ford, which offered greater comfort at a lower price. Godfrey and Frazer-Nash sold their company in 1923. From then on, Frazer-Nash built sports cars under his own name and Godfrey founded the H.R.G. make together with Halford and Robbins.
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